Apr 8, 2016

Service with a Smile!

Serving others brings happiness into my life. A couple weeks ago, my girlies and I had the chance to attend the General Women's Session of Conference in the Conference Center.

The talks that night were all about service and serving others. As I've pondered about service and what I can do to serve more, I've had the following thoughts:

1. Service does not have to be grandiose. It can be small and simple.

Sometimes I forget that as I go about my daily tasks, as routine and mundane as they are, I am serving. Through every load of laundry, every dish washed, every meal served, every story read, and hug given I am helping or giving aid to my husband and children.

Just because it is done in your home, day after day, it still counts. You're still giving service - probably the best, most important service you can possible give.

I, as a mother, have the opportunity to serve my family in small ways everyday. How do I serve them? It is happily and cheerfully, or is it ornery and with a bad attitude toward? Do I see my "motherly duties" as chores or as opportunities to serve my family? Is my family able to feel the love of the Lord through my service to them? Is contention decreased and hearts softened through my service to them? I sure hope so.

3. Sister Esplin also said, "We give service when we don't criticize, when we refuse to gossip, when we don't judge, when we smile, when we say thank you, and when we are patient and kind."

As a mother, this is what I strive for:

- to criticize my children less and praise them more.

-to refuse to talk bad about my kids and husband to others

- to give everyone the benefit of the doubt and believe that they're doing the best they can

-to smile especially when I feel like yelling or rolling my eyes

-to thank more, especially for the tiny little things

-to be patient and kind

So I guess what I'm trying to say is to never discount the service you do in your home and for your family no matter how routine, boring, or unimportant it may seem, it's not.

"The most important work service you will ever do will be within the walls of your own home."